In May survey the Public Opinion Research Centre focused on topic of the presidency of the European Union. The Czech Republic has assumed the presidency of the EU on 1 January 2009. The respondents were asked if they are interested in this topic or if they have a lot of informations about the presidency. The survey also investigated citizens’ evaluation of the Czech Republic’s preparations for the presidency.

On the elections to the European Parliament

In May 2009, 40 % of Czech citizens expressed willingness to participate in the election to the European Parliament. On the other hand, 46 % of Czech voters did not want to vote. The remaining 14 % were still undecided.

Those polled who expressed willingness to participate in the elections were then asked the following open question (without a list of parties being used): ‘What political grouping or party are you going to vote for in the elections to European Parliament?’ The answers indicate that most votes would be given the Civil Democratic Party (ODS, 33 %) and to the Czech Social Democratic Party (CSSD, 25,5 %), followed by the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (KSCM, 13,5 %), the Christian and Democratic Union (KDU-CSL, 5,5 %) and the Green Party (SZ, 5 %).

As a part of February survey there were also some questions focused on interest of Czech citizens in political events in their country as well in the world, involvement of Czech citizens in political and public life, respondents´ attitudes to public activities and public opinions of chances that people have to influence public events.

Confidence in constitutional institutions and satisfaction with political situation in May 2009

In May 2009 within the regular survey CVVM SOÚ AV ČR, v.v.i., questioned respondents about their confidence in constitutional institutions. In this month there was a question about their trust to Chambers of Parliament, Government, President, Local and Regional Councils.

As a part of the CVVM surveys there is a question about public satisfaction with current political situation in the Czech Republic.

In April 2009 CVVM probed, how Czech citizens evaluate membership of the Czech Republic in European Union. Besides satisfaction with membership, Czechs also talked about measure of their pride in context of being citizens of European Union. Then Czechs evaluated helpfulness and harmfulness of European integration in these areas - economy, politics, culture, country defence and ecology. On one hand, most of Czechs supposed that European integration is useful in area of defence (75 %) and ecology (73 %).

In April 2009 CVVM investigated, whether, according to Czech citizens, values such as democracy, equality, cooperation, toleration, justice and solidarity are applied in European Union. The largest proportion of Czechs answered on this subject positively in connection with democracy and cooperation (74 % and 68 %) and by contrast equality obtained least agreeing answers (39 %).

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In May survey CVVM investigated how people trust to political Parties and whether they are willing to take part in elections to Chamber of Deputies. In the press release there are two different types of information : Party preference and a model of voting behaviour.

Party preferences give us information about public sympathy with political Parties in the group of citizens who have voting right and there is also included a part of citizens who will not take part in elections or they do not knot who to vote for.

In February 2009 CVVM probed situation in Czech society concerning trust and satisfaction with some international institutions – concretely United Nations, European Union and North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Most Czechs trust to UN (63 %), after that follows EU with 60 % and NATO with 53 %. The same order is also in the context of satisfaction with membership in these organizations. 72 % of Czechs feel satisfaction with UN, in related to EU it is 67 % and finally with NATO 58 % of citizens are satisfied.

In March 2009 CVVM focused on public opinion about politicians and factors influencing a decision-making process. Czech people believe that corruption, lobbying and special interest groups have the biggest influence on decisions of politicians. On the contrary, many people think that scientists, researchers and citizens do not play an important role in the decision-making process.

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According to April survey 58 % of Czechs are concerned with the situation regarding present world financial crisis, 40 % do not care about it. 83 % expect negative impact of crisis to economic development in the Czech Republic, 62 % of Czechs are convinced the financial crisis will affect their personal situation or the situation of their households. 57 % see the reaction of Czech government to present situation as bad, 24 % expressed opposite meaning.